Last Saturday, during the Hive Book Club hangout. We came up with an idea to read a particular genre every week. Last week, we decided to read self-help books. Basically, we’d come together to discuss self-help books. While the theme for the week was self-help, it wasn’t a strict rule—if you did not read a self-help book, you could still share any genre you’d read. Self-help books aren’t my go-to genre. However, for a while now, I have been bent on diving into the genre. I was so sure that I would finally start reading self-help books last week. Sadly, I got so engrossed in school activities that not only was I unable to read self-help books, but I also wasn’t unable to read novels—my favorite go-to books. From Monday to Friday, I was busy with school activities; back-to-back tests, classes, and programs. So, today, I’ll review a book I read a while back.
Last month, I read On Black Sisters’ Street by Chika Unigwe, a Nigerian writer. Chika Unigwe is a Nigerian-Belgian writer born in 1947 in the eastern part of Nigeria, Enugu. The fact that she studied English at the University of Nsukka proves her love for literature. She proceeded to earn his PhD in literature in the Netherlands—this solidifies the fact that he is a lover of the literary world. On Black Sisters’ Street was published in 2009. The author made use of both Africa (mostly Nigeria) and Belgian places. Some parts of the novel were set in Lagos, while the majority of the chapters were set in Antwerp, Belgium. The novel explores how women are trafficked and tricked to go into prostitution, under the guise of a better life. Nowadays, we live in a world where people are going through a lot, waiting for an angel to save them from miserable lives. This vulnerability is what the wolves in sheep’s clothing pounce upon. This is what Chika Unigwe explores in her novel, On Black Sisters’ Street.
On Black Sisters’ Street revolves around four African women- Sisi, Joyce, Ama, and Efe. They have all experienced the sharp thorns of life in different ways and in search of a better life, they fell into the hands of a prey and were tricked into working as sex workers in Belgium. The four girls were tricked by Dele, a Nigerian businessman who deals in human- trafficking deceiving women and making them become sex workers. Dele’s job is to look for women who are on the verge of giving up and tell them he can make their lives better by sending them abroad only on one condition, that they have to work and pay him back a certain amount of money every month. Dele is always on the lookout for women with traumatic pasts.
Efe, a materialistic lady who at a very young age started having a sexual relationship with an elderly married man, Titus. She gets pregnant by the age of 16. As soon as she tells her “sugar daddy” about the news, he deserts her to raise her kid all by herself. Efe entered the sex trade to support her child. Ama, on the other hand, got defiled by her stepfather on her eighth birthday. From the night of her eighth birthday, her stepfather begins raping her every night. She fled from home and ended up becoming a sex worker in Belgium. Joyce, whose family got killed in front of her eyes, escaped war and violence. Lastly, Sisi. Sisi, an educated and promising Nigerian who had dreams of becoming a banker is disappointed by the sad and bitter economy of the country. Being the only child of her parents, they invested in her, hoping that she would graduate and get a better job to take care of the family.
Only for her to be disappointed by the reality of life. She, like other women, is lured to become a sex worker in Belgium. Sisi gets tired of the job and falls in love. Determined to change her life, she quits prostitution. Unfortunately, she meets her end. Who killed Sisi? Why was she killed? How would her parents feel? Read the book to find out.
This is my first book by the author and I totally enjoyed it. On Black Sisters’ Street won the 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature. One of the things to take note of in this book is the character and characterization of Dele. Picture this; a fat man with a protruded stomach, with beads of sweat constantly dripping from his face. That’s exactly who Dele is. I absolutely love the way the writer made Dele’s character. Dele knows exactly where to look for his victims. Just by looking at them, he knows they are going through a lot and that they would fall for his traps. He also knows the right words to use. Dele’s character is a clear definition of “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.” I understand that we live in a world
Where we are hoping for a miracle to save us from our lives, but we should know that not everyone has a pure heart.
Despite coming from different backgrounds, the women find strength and comfort in each other, particularly when Sisi, one of them, dies. Not any of them wished to be in that position, they were pushed by the realities of life. I enjoyed reading this book. I rate it a 4.6 out of 5.
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Thanks for reading.
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